Paris-Trousseau syndrome platelets in a child with Jacobsen's syndrome

The thrombocytopenia in an infant with clinical features of Jacobsen's syndrome characterized by multiple congenital anomalies, cardiac defects, psychomotor retardation, and deletion of chromosome 11 at 11q23.3 has been evaluated. Study of his platelets in the electron microscope revealed giant alpha granules in his cells identical in appearance to those reported in the family with Paris-Trousseau syndrome. As a result, the Paris-Trousseau syndrome appears to be a variant of the Jacobsen syndrome, and the thrombocytopenia observed in all cases of chromosome 11q23.3 deletion due to dysmegakaryopoieses. Giant alpha granules are frequently observed in normal platelets during long-term storage and may form in Jacobsen and Paris-Trousseau platelets during prolonged residence in the bone marrow.